I discovered that late last night. And that's a definite disappointment for me. It changes my perception of the whole case.
I still come down on the same side of things. But I do have to say that suddenly it's not quite so clear-cut.
Today he responds to the neurologists that both the courts and MSM have relied upon to interpret images of Terri's brain with a $100,000 challenge:March 30, 2005
The CT Scan - Proof of PVS? A $100,000 Challenge
Terri Schiavo's CT Scan has been grossly misrepresented in the mainstream press.
Previously, Codeblue applied his expertise in radiology to interpret Terri Schiavo's CT scans that have been released to the public and are being used in a public relations campaign to justify her starvation:
The most alarming thing about this image, however, is that there certainly is cortex left. Granted, it is severely thinned, especially for Terri's age, but I would be nonplussed if you told me that this was a 75 year old female who was somewhat senile but fully functional, and I defy a radiologist anywhere to contest that.I HAVE SEEN MANY WALKING, TALKING, FAIRLY COHERENT PEOPLE WITH WORSE CEREBRAL/CORTICAL ATROPHY. THEREFORE, THIS IS IN NO WAY PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE THAT TERRI SCHIAVO'S MENTAL ABILITIES OR/OR CAPABILITIES ARE COMPLETELY ERADICATED. I CANNOT BELIEVE SUCH TESTIMONY HAS BEEN GIVEN ON THE BASIS OF THIS SCAN.
Here's the problem with these experts: THEY DON'T INTERPRET CT SCANS OF THE BRAIN. RADIOLOGISTS DO. ...
What I'm saying is that Terri Schiavo's CT could be the brain of an eighty or ninety year old person who is not in a vegetative state. THOSE are the CT scans we should be showing next to Schiavo's, because in THAT case you would see similar atrophy and a brain much closer to Schiavo's.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?Any takers?To prove my point I am offering $100,000 on a $25,000 wager for ANY neurologist (and $125,000 for any neurologist/bioethicist) involved in Terri Schiavo's case--including all the neurologists reviewed on television and in the newspapers who can accurately single out PVS patients from functioning patients with better than 60% accuracy on CT scans.
I will provide 100 single cuts from 100 different patient's brain CT's. All the neurologist has to do is say which ones represent patients with PVS and which do not.
If the neurologist can be right 6 out of 10 times he wins the $100,000.
I Said What I Meant, And I Meant What I Said
My points are what I first said about the image from Terri Schiavo's CT scan:
- It is NOT as bad as the neurologists and bioethicists play it up to be; and,
- There are many elderly patients with various levels of mental functioning who have severe atrophy that is difficult to distinguish from Terri Schiavo's atrophy
I stand by what I said. And I'm putting my money where my mouth is.